The present invention relates generally to non-destructive testing, and more particularly, to transforming one-dimensional A-scan data samples into a three-dimensional space to facilitate three-dimensional visualization of any flaws present in a test material undergoing non-destructive testing.
Non-destructive testing can entail a multiple of analysis techniques used to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system (“test material”) without causing damage thereto. Ultrasonic testing is one type of non-destructive testing modality that uses high frequency sound energy to conduct examinations of a test material. A typical ultrasonic testing inspection system used to locate flaws in a test material such as a weld on piping and tubing can include a hand-held ultrasonic probe that contains a pulser/receiver and a transducer. The pulser/receiver produces electrical pulses that drive the transducer to generate ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic energy is introduced to the test material and propagates therethrough in the form of waves or beams. When there is a discontinuity such as a flaw (e.g., a crack) in the beam path, part of the energy will be reflected back from the flaw to the surface of the test material. The reflected waves of ultrasonic energy are converted into electrical signals (“ultrasonic signals”) and can be displayed on a screen of a display device that is associated with the ultrasonic testing inspection system.
An A-scan is one type of display format that can be used to present the ultrasonic signals reflected from the test material. The A-scans are generally one-dimensional in that each scan plots the reflected signal strength representative of the amount of received ultrasonic energy against the time from signal generation to when an echo was received by the transducer. An ultrasonic inspection specialist can examine the A-scans to detect the existence of any flaws in the test material based on the location, size, and orientation of any reflectors appearing in the scans.
It can be a difficult task for an ultrasonic inspection specialist to interpret A-scans and accurately ascertain whether a flaw is present in the test material. Locating flaws in an A-scan is a difficult task, because noise signals and geometry echoes may obfuscate the ultrasonic signals caused by actual defects. This issue is compounded for ultrasonic testing inspection systems that use two-dimensional probe arrays to scan test material. In particular, the ultrasonic data acquired by a two-dimensional probe array is three-dimensional by nature because the orientation of the beam of ultrasonic energy generated therefrom is defined by two dynamic angles instead of one dynamic angle as with a standard phased-array probe. Typical A-scans generated from presently available ultrasonic testing inspection systems are not able to display the three-dimensional information embodied in the ultrasonic signals acquired by a two-dimensional probe array.
Some A-scans generated from ultrasonic testing inspection systems can display a top view, a side view and an end view of the ultrasonic signals. In this case, the top view, the side view and the end view are projected onto a two-dimensional image plane next to each other, such that the views are disparate and separate. The top view, side view and end view all contain maximum intensity projections obtained from fixed angles to present the acquired ultrasonic data. There is no depth information provided with these views. This makes it almost impossible for the ultrasonic inspection specialist to locate the actual position of the data in a three dimensional space in a single image. To determine the position of a reflected signal in the test material, information from multiple images (i.e., the top, side and end views) has to be combined in a mental model and set into relation to the inspected test geometry by the ultrasonic inspection specialist. This is a complicated task that requires intensive training and years of experience and practice. As a result, it is very difficult for the ultrasonic inspection specialist to ascertain if and where a flaw is present in a certain test material and what the flaw looks like. Consequently, the ultrasonic inspection specialist will have to utilize a computational intensive volume reconstruction algorithm that can reconstruct the physical beam geometry (i.e., the beam spread) in a three-dimensional display.